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G. P. ELLIOTT. CABLE GRIP.

No. 475,684. Patented May 24, 1892.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE F. ELLIOTT, OF THE UNITED STATES NAVY.

CABLE-GRIP.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 475,684, dated May 24,1892. Application filed September 16, 1891- Serial No. 405,840. (Nomodel.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, GEORGE F. ELLIOTT, an officer of the United StatesMarine Corps, at present stationed at the Brooklyn navy-yard, in theState of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement inCable-Grips, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to that kind of cablegrip which is intended to gripthe end of a wire rope or cable. It is a two-part gri p, each of itsparts being provided with an interior surface formed to match theconformation of the strands of the cable with which it is do signed tobe brought into contact and having at or near each of its edges aninterior longitudinal recess, which bounds the matching surface. Eachpart of the two parts is preferably semicircular in cross section. Itsgrooved surface, which matches the cable, is less than a semicircle, andthe longitudinal recesses along the edges of the grooved surface occupythe remainder of the semicircle. WVhen the two semicircular parts of thegrip are applied to the cable and are pressed or drawn together, so thattheir edges abut or meet, the grooved surfaces of said parts fit uponthe strands of the cable opposite which they come, while the cableitself is by the compression a little flattened, and a portion of it oneach side is forced into and fills the longitudinal recesseswhich boundthe grooved surfaces. A grip of this kind will hold the end of a cablewith the utmost tightness, so that it can neither pull out from nor turnin the grip. The lateral longitudinal recesses, above referred to, oneach edge of the grooved surfaces are important agents in assuring thisresult. They permit the compression of the cable from the circular to anelliptical or slightly-flattened form and they provide clearance spacesor pockets, into which the cable when thus compressed can expand orspread laterally. Moreover, they permit the two semicircular parts ofthe grip to be readily formed either by casting or by drop-forging aswell. A two-part semicircular grip having corresponding grooves to fitthe cable-strands of the end to which the grip is applied has long beena desideratum, but heretofore it has been impracticable to get such agrip, inas- .muoh as in forming the semicircular mold the latter wouldbe broken in the attempt to lift the pattern therefrom; but by makingthe grooved surface less than a semicircle in extent and by providingthe longitudinal recesses along its edges this difficulty is entirelyobviated. The two parts of the grip can be cast without difficulty, andthey can also be produced with equal ease by drop-forging as well.

While, as I have above intimated, the two parts of my grip may each beless than a full semicircle, yet I prefer to make them each asimicircle, or at any rate so near thereto that when closed and properlycompressed upon the end of the cable their applied edges will theexternal screw-threads cut or formed upon each part of the grip with thenuts by which the parts are drawn together.

I am aware that a multiple-part cable-gri p in which thegripping-surfaces of the parts conform in shape to the surface of thecable opposite which they come is not new, broadly speaking; but in suchas I have knowledge of there have in practice been as many parts orseparate clamping-pieces as there have been external strands in thecablethat is to say, for a cable having six external strands around acentral core or strand the grip would have six separate parts or jaws,and so 011. Such a grip, however, is'liable to become distorted undertwisting strains particularlya thing which is practically impossiblewith my gripwhich when set up and in working condition is virtually asolid undivided cylinder. More- 5 over, neither in a grip of theparticular kind in question nor in any other cable -grip of which I haveknowledge are the parts formed with a lateral recess in them along eachedge of the embracing or grasping surface.

To enable those skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I nowproceed to describe it more particularly by reference to theaccompanying drawings, in which-- Figure 1 is a side elevation of thecomplelo grip adjusted upon a cable and provided with a link or otherusual connection. Fig. 2 isa section of Fig. 1that is to say, in theplane of the joint between the two parts of the grip. From this figurethe cable and link are omitted. Fig. 3 is a cross-section on line 3 3,Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a cross-section similar in a general way to Fig. 3,but representing the parts as they appear after the parts of the griphave been placed and adjusted upon the cable, but before they have beendrawn together by the clamping or binding nuts. Fig. 5 is an inner faceview of one of the two sections of a modified form of grip.

The two parts or sections A B of the grip may be formed by casting orbydrop-forging, as above stated. Each part is a counterpart of the other,so that a description of one will answer for both.

Each grip-section is preferably of the dimensions of a semicircle, orthereabout, in cross-section. About one-third of its inner surfacemidway between its two longitudinal edges is cast or otherwise formedwith grooves which match and fit upon the strands of the cable X, thissurface being represented at a, and beyond this surface at each edge alongitudinal recess b is formed in the inner surface of the section tobound the surface a. The edges or shoulders of these recesses next tothe surface a are preferably rounded, as

' seen at I), this being to prevent what would otherwise be a sharp edgefrom biting upon the cable and preventing it from spreading freelylaterally into the recesses b when the two grip-sections are drawntogether. The two parts or sections of the grip when adjusted upon thecable are drawn together by tapering nuts N, and they are accordinglyprovided upon their exterior with correspondingly-taperingscrew-threaded seats 8 s for these nuts.

In the preferred embodiment of my invention the extreme rear end or base0 of each section is formed with a flat face, which when the grip isadjusted on the cable meets or abuts against the corresponding flat faceof the base 0 of the other section, the two being held solidly togetherby a bolt and nut 01 e, and between this portion of the grip and theadjoining nutN the two sections are so formed that when they are puttogether an eye f will be provided for reception of a link Lor ring,hook, or other device for coupling the grip with any part to which it isto be connected. In lieu of this construction, however, a fastening-suchas the bolt and nut d emay be dispensed with and the rear ends of thetwo sections may each be formed with an eye g, as shown for one of thesections in Fig. 5.

These eyes coincide or register when the two parts of the grip are puttogether, and through the compound eye thus formed can be passed thelink, hook, or other coupling device.

At the rear end of the cable-receiving opening in the two-part grip isan annular chamber h, which is slightly larger-say one-sixteenth inchlargerin diameter than the grip-opening referred to. If a wire rope isnot served at the end, its strands will unlay or fly apart for a foot ortwo and the end can never be exactly relaid or brought to its originalform. The serving which binds the end and which usually consists ofwire, or strong thread is therefore practically indispensable. As thisserving (shown at i) increases the thickness of the extreme end of thecable, it becomes necessary to provide for its accommodation, and forthis purpose the chamber 77. is intended.

The two parts of the grip are of such dimensions and proportions thatwhen adjusted and fitted upon the end of the cable and before beingclamped home thereon their adjoining edges will be aboutone-sixteenth'of an inch apart. The parts in this position are shown inFig. 4.. Then by screwing the nuts home the two parts will gradually bedrawn together until their edges meet. The cable by this operation willby compression be 5 changed from circular to elliptical or slightlyflattened form and will be caused to spread laterally into the recessesb. The parts in this condition are represented in Fig. 3.

Having now described my invention and the best way now known to me ofcarrying the same into effect, what I claim herein as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, 1s

1. A two-part cable-grip having its two parts or sections formed eachwith a graspingsurface to fit upon the part of the cable with which itis brought into contact, and a longitudinal recess along each outer edgeof said grasping-surface, substantially as hereinbefore set forth. I

2. The two-part cable-grip consisting of the two substantiallysemicircular sections A B, provided each with an interiorgrasping-surface Ct, bounded by longitudinal recesses b, externaltapering screw-threaded seats 8 to receive taper binding-nuts N, havingbases 0, with fiat abutting faces heldtogether by a bolt and nut or thelike and formed so that when put together they will provide an eye f,substantially as and for the purpose here inbefore set forth.

3. A two-part cable grip the sections of which are each provided alongeach edge with an internal recess 1), which bounds the grasping-surfaceof the section, substantially as hereinbefore set forth.

4. A two-part cable grip provided with grasping-surfaces to fit upon thepart of the cable with which they are brought in contact and with a rearenlargement or chamber h served end of the cable, substantially as setto receive the served end of the cable, subforth. 1::

stantially as set forth.

5. A two-part cable-grip having sections provided each along each edgewith an internal recess 1), 'Which bounds the graspingsurface of thesections, and having the rear enlargement or chamber h for receiving theIn testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE F. ELLIOTT.

Witnesses:

J. W. AMBERMAN, Ms B. TROUSDALE.

